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“Packaging is where a product first becomes a brand.”
– Rory Sutherland
Here is something most cosmetic founders don't know: when marketing researchers analyzed 1,353 products on the shelves of the largest supermarket chain in the United States, the packages that carried the higher prices were, on average, the plainer ones.
That is not a typo, and it is not an anti-design argument. In the same study, Symbolically Simple, published in the Journal of Marketing in 2023, consumers shown a hand cream in plain packaging were willing to pay more for it than for the identical cream wearing a printed geometric pattern. The reason is quietly important for anyone selling skincare: simplicity is read as a message. A plain pack signals “few ingredients,” and few ingredients’ signals purity - and purity is what a large and growing share of skincare buyers now say they are paying for.
If you sell print embellishment for a living, as we do, that finding is inconvenient. So, we went looking for studies that contradict it. There are plenty. Which is exactly the point of this article.
The evidence cuts both ways – on purpose
The case for tactile and multisensory packaging is real and measurable.
A choice-based study of 400 consumers on cosmetic packaging found that a velvety soft-touch lamination held its appeal even when it added 5% to the price – people valued the feel enough to pay for it. A 2025 study in Scientific Reports showed that a more involved unboxing experience measurably raised how attractive and premium a product felt, and that texture shaped the entire sensory experience of what was inside – even though the product never changed. And symmetry – one of the cheapest design decisions there is – reliably reads as “premium” across categories, a near-free lever most brands leave on the table.
So, embellishment works. And embellishment doesn't work. Both are true, and an honest conclusion is the one worth building a decision on: the finish only pays when it is coherent with the promise the brand is making.
What a small-to-mid skincare brand should actually do
The shopper may spend about 27 seconds in a shopping aisle, scanning options and narrowing choices. But when their eyes land on your pack, the window is much shorter: often only a second or two to persuade them to pick it up and explore further. Here are three tips on how to spend that time best:
Start from the promise, not the finish. Write one message your brand is promoting – pure, clinical, indulgent, natural, luxurious – before anyone opens a color swatch. The right finish should support the brand promise, not compete with it.
Apply embellishments with purpose. The most successful packaging uses finishing effects to highlight the moments and products that matter most, creating a stronger and more memorable brand experience.
Treat simplicity as a decision, not a lost advertising opportunity. If your story is purity, simplicity can become a powerful brand asset, helping communicate confidence without excess.
The question is not whether to embellish, but how to use embellishment to create the greatest impact. The most successful packaging is built on finishing choices that strengthen the brand story and enhance customer experience. That is the conversation we would rather have.
And perhaps that conversation is becoming more relevant than ever. Minimalism is not disappearing overnight, but its dominance may be. After years of restrained design, clean layouts, and muted palettes, many brands are finding that simplicity alone is no longer enough to stand out. As consumers look for products that feel distinctive and memorable, we expect packaging to become richer, more tactile, and more expressive. The next era of beauty packaging may not belong to minimalism or maximalism alone, but the momentum is clearly shifting toward brands that are willing to create more visible and more sensory experiences.
Interested in experiencing our products firsthand? Order your free sample by clicking here: DIW Print – sample box.
Would you like to work together or consult your packaging? Contact me! emma@diwprint.com
“Packaging is where a product first becomes a brand.”
– Rory Sutherland
Here is something most cosmetic founders don't know: when marketing researchers analyzed 1,353 products on the shelves of the largest supermarket chain in the United States, the packages that carried the higher prices were, on average, the plainer ones.
That is not a typo, and it is not an anti-design argument. In the same study, Symbolically Simple, published in the Journal of Marketing in 2023, consumers shown a hand cream in plain packaging were willing to pay more for it than for the identical cream wearing a printed geometric pattern. The reason is quietly important for anyone selling skincare: simplicity is read as a message. A plain pack signals “few ingredients,” and few ingredients’ signals purity - and purity is what a large and growing share of skincare buyers now say they are paying for.
If you sell print embellishment for a living, as we do, that finding is inconvenient. So, we went looking for studies that contradict it. There are plenty. Which is exactly the point of this article.
The evidence cuts both ways – on purpose
The case for tactile and multisensory packaging is real and measurable.
A choice-based study of 400 consumers on cosmetic packaging found that a velvety soft-touch lamination held its appeal even when it added 5% to the price – people valued the feel enough to pay for it. A 2025 study in Scientific Reports showed that a more involved unboxing experience measurably raised how attractive and premium a product felt, and that texture shaped the entire sensory experience of what was inside – even though the product never changed. And symmetry – one of the cheapest design decisions there is – reliably reads as “premium” across categories, a near-free lever most brands leave on the table.
So, embellishment works. And embellishment doesn't work. Both are true, and an honest conclusion is the one worth building a decision on: the finish only pays when it is coherent with the promise the brand is making.
What a small-to-mid skincare brand should actually do
The shopper may spend about 27 seconds in a shopping aisle, scanning options and narrowing choices. But when their eyes land on your pack, the window is much shorter: often only a second or two to persuade them to pick it up and explore further. Here are three tips on how to spend that time best:
Start from the promise, not the finish. Write one message your brand is promoting – pure, clinical, indulgent, natural, luxurious – before anyone opens a color swatch. The right finish should support the brand promise, not compete with it.
Apply embellishments with purpose. The most successful packaging uses finishing effects to highlight the moments and products that matter most, creating a stronger and more memorable brand experience.
Treat simplicity as a decision, not a lost advertising opportunity. If your story is purity, simplicity can become a powerful brand asset, helping communicate confidence without excess.
The question is not whether to embellish, but how to use embellishment to create the greatest impact. The most successful packaging is built on finishing choices that strengthen the brand story and enhance customer experience. That is the conversation we would rather have.
And perhaps that conversation is becoming more relevant than ever. Minimalism is not disappearing overnight, but its dominance may be. After years of restrained design, clean layouts, and muted palettes, many brands are finding that simplicity alone is no longer enough to stand out. As consumers look for products that feel distinctive and memorable, we expect packaging to become richer, more tactile, and more expressive. The next era of beauty packaging may not belong to minimalism or maximalism alone, but the momentum is clearly shifting toward brands that are willing to create more visible and more sensory experiences.
Interested in experiencing our products firsthand? Order your free sample by clicking here: DIW Print – sample box.
Would you like to work together or consult your packaging? Contact me! emma@diwprint.com